Aftermath of the crash
by Virgo girl 14
Summary: Dylan's decided to play the hero trying to save Esther and Kim. He gets caught up in the fire. Will he survive? DylanxNico GracexTrevor SiennaxBen
1. Chapter 1

Nico had spent the day out with her mum and Ben while he was working. She'd started to get used to him, started to trust him after he told them both about his daughter being in trouble. She had in fact been the mystery woman Nico had seen him with previously.

The three of them got out of the police car and Ben looked at the two of them.

"Thank you, for today, Ben." Sienna smiled, her arm around Nico.

"It's fine. Got her out of the house for the day." Ben smiled.

"If I have to spend one more day of grandad listening to his rubbish music..." Nico laughed.

Sienna smiled and looked as Ben got a reporting through hs radio. He looked at them both.

"Sorry, gonna have to leave you. There's been an accident involving a car and one of our vans." Ben said.

"Can we come?" Nico looked.

The two adults looked at each other.

"Only if you don't mind..." Sienna said.

"Alright, get in. But you have to stay back on this one, alright?"

Nico nodded and got back into the car, Sienna and Ben doing the same and he sped off.

Once scene, the car came to a halt, and Ben jumped out. The police van badly battered and the car on its roof and on fire.

After a few quiet moments, curiosity got the better of Nico and she got out.

"Nico!" Sienna called after her, following her.

Nico looked confused as she saw Kim and Grace with Esther's baby, and continued to watch the scene in front of her. She froze and her heart sank as her eyes lay on Trevor and a very familiar looking figure on the ground. "No! Dylan!" She shouted and started to run forward.

"Nico don't!" Ben grabbed her, holding her back. He kept hold of her as she struggled.

Sienna looked, hearing the heartbreaking shouts from her daughter.

"He's going to get help. Nico I promise you, but you have to let the ambulance crew do their job." Ben said gently.

"Nico..." Sienna walked forward.

Nico turned to face her mother and hugged her tightly.

Sienna hugged her, looking at Ben. "Go on.." She mouthed and kept hold of Nico as she cried.

Grace walked over to the two of them.

"What happened?" Sienna asked, causing Nico to look up at Grace.

"Tried to play hero." Grace sighed. "He was in the back of that van, he got out and he tried to get Kim and Esther out. He only managed to get one before the thing went up, throwing him back..."

Sienna gasped softly, and looked at the car.

Nico looked back at Dylan.

"Nico... Did you know about his...?" Grace trailed off.

Nico nodded. "We argued cause he decided to change who he was to please him... We only just started talking again a few days ago..."

Sienna looked confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Look at what he's wearing, mum..."

Sienna looked as Dylan was lifted into an ambulance. "Is that..a dress?!"

Nico laughed a little and nodded, wiping her eyes. "Yeah..."

"What..- I don't understand?" Sienna looked. "How are you okay with that?"

Nico shrugged. "He's always been the one who told me not to care if I was different. It's just... Something he likes to do."

Grace smiled at her. "He's lucky to have you. Someone who understands him."

Sienna looked, keeping quiet.

Nico smiled a little, watching as Trevor got into the back of the ambulance, and she watched it drive away.

"He'll be fine." Grace said, though she didn't believe what she was saying.

"Nico go and wait in the car." Sienna looked.

Nico nodded and walked to the car, getting inside. She picked up her phone that had been left on the seat. She sighed, looking at the picture of her and Dylan taken just days before.

"He's completely in love with her..." Grace sighed.

Sienna nodded. "She's the same... I've never seen her smile so much." She looked at Grace. "You don't believe he'll be alright do you."

Grace could only shrug. "Trevor tried to pull him back in time before it went up, but he got thrown back and hit the ground hard... I couldn't break her heart again could I."

Sienna sighed and looked back at Nico. "I'll see if Ben can take her to the hospital... She'll want to see him..."

"It's Kim's fault... I don't know how he got in the back of that van, but if she hasn't have taken Esther and the baby... Trevor and I would never have gone after them... We wouldn't have been followed by the police. The woman is a nut case it wouldn't surprise me if she was the one who locked him in there..."

Sienna looked. "What happens now?"

"We be there for the kids... But she won't get away with this." Grace said. "Yeah the kid's annoying, but he's a good lad. It's impossible that he's come from Trevor." She smiled. "But he's got a heart of gold and he's do anything for anyone. Even her."

Sienna smiled. "Yeah..." She agreed. "I got him wrong before..."

"Look, if I'd gone through what you did, if I'd have seen my daughter's boyfriend over her like that I'd have jumped to the same conclusion. But I would have also known him."

Sienna nodded. "I know... As soon as I said it I wish I didn't..."

"No point thinking about past. She needs you now."


	2. Chapter 2

"What the hell are you doing here!? Get 'er out will you!" Trevor snapped at a passing doctor, glaring at Kim. "My boy's in there cause of you!"

Kim looked. "He was gonna take Esther's baby to you! Frankie told me to stop him!"

"Because Esther came round and we discussed it. Dylan wasn't gonna kidnap his own brother."

"Why do you care anyway? You were going to disown him anyway if you caught him in women's clothes again."

"And Nico spoke to me about that. So did Grace. Y'know if you weren't a woman you'd be in a hospital bed yourself." Trevor glared. "Go on, get out before something happens to you." While he may not agree with his son dressing in drag, he was still his boy, and he hadn't seen him grow up. "If he don't come out of this, I'm comin' for you."

Kim glared at him before she walked out.

Trevor sighed and dropped into the chair in the waiting area. He didn't know how much longer he could wait to find if Dylan was going to be OK.

Grace walked over to him, Curtis in her arms. "How is he?"

Trevor looked up. "No one's sayin' anything. They've taken him off for some scans and tests or somethin'." he sighed.

Grace sighed softly, sitting beside him. "I'm sure he'll be alright... He survived bein' run over didn't he?" she smiled. "And his girlfriend's mum's a complete nutter, she ain't got rid of him yet."

Trevor managed a slight smile. "Yeah.."

"You've been worried he's not tough. But he's tougher than he looks, and he's a lot smarter." Grace looked. "Don't think I don't know about you pullin' him in to your dirty work. He better not have been in that van being caught on one of your jobs."

He couldn't look at her. "He wasn't supposed to be there."

"You idiot! He's a kid! He's just a kid!"

"Don't act like the concerned mother for once here! You wanted him gone before!"

"You are unbelievable! Yeah, I might have done before, but he's an alright kid once you get used to him." Grace glared.

Trevor growled and stood up, walking out.

Grace sighed, tipping her head back so it rested on the wall behind, and she closed her eyes. She opened her eyes slowly as Curtis started fussing. "Shh..." She lightly bounced him on her lap. "Let's go see if we can find your brother, eh?" She stood up, looking for a passing doctor. She walked down the corridor and walked over to Dr. S'Avage. "Where's Dylan?"

"We have him stabilised, we've just brought him down from being scanned, we just have to wait for those results. We'll know more then." S'Avage answered, looking at her. "You're welcome to go and sit with him."

"Thanks." Grace nodded and followed him.

Grace looked as she approached Dylan and shook her head. "Can't keep out of trouble can you, eh?" She sighed, expecting a sarcastic response, but Dylan remained still and silent. "Oi, come on! Y'can't leave your dad now. And Curtis, and Nico."

"Even though he's not awake, he can hear you."

Grace looked as she heard a voice, and sighed when she saw Celine. "He shouldn't be in here. He's a kid."

Celine nodded. "He'll be alright. We should be bringing his scan results down soon... We've been trying to get hold of his mum..."

Grace nodded. She couldn't even muster the energy to feel jealous. Not now she knew a mother's love. "I'm sure she'll get here soon. Till then, he's got me."


	3. Chapter 3

"Nico, he'll be fine!" Peri tried her hardest to calm her best friend down.

"Yeah, he's in the hospital, it's the best place for him right now." Tom looked, feeling completely useless.

"I should be there with him, not stuck in this stupid, tiny flat!" Nico sighed.

Tom and Peri looked at each other.

"Come on then. We'll go." Peri said.

Tom nodded. "Come on."

The three teenagers walked out of the flat, and made their way to the hospital.

When they entered, Peri spotted Leela being wheeled through. "Mum!"

Nico looked. "You two go, I'll find Dylan."

Tom nodded and walked with Peri to where Leela was being taken. Nico looked around her and ran over to S'Avage. "Where's Dylan? Is he ok?"

Charles put his hand on her shoulder. "Nico calm down. There's no need to panic, he's going to be fine. He needs surgery but he's stable."

Nico nodded, taking deep breaths to try and calm herself. "Can I see him?"

Charles looked at her. "Very well. He shouldn't be having visitors right now, but I have a feeling you'll go to him with or without my permission." He lead her to the room Dylan was in.

Dylan, who was talking to Trevor, looked, and smiled a little at the sight of Nico.

Trevor stopped mid-sentence and looked behind him. "I'll leave you to it." He said and left the room.

"I know you like your dresses but this..?" Nico joked.

"Bit much?" Dylan smirked.

Nico couldn't help but laugh. She walked over to him and hugged him. "Don't ever leave me."

"I won't, I promise." He hugged back. He'd only seen her just a few hours before, he didn't think he would miss her so much already.

"Peri and Tom wanted to come with me but we saw Leela come in.." Nico said.

Dylan looked. "What? She was caught up in it?"

Nico shrugged. "I don't know... It looks like it." She said. She wanted to be angry that he'd put himself in danger, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She was just so relieved he was alright, when she could have been talking to his corpse.

"I couldn't leave Esther." He spoke, as though hearing what she was thinking. "I know it was stupid, but Curtis wouldn't have known her if I didn't."

She smiled. This was the old Dylan she loved so much.

Lindsey entered the room. "We have to get you prepped for surgery now, Dylan."

He rolled his eyes. "Ok."

Nico looked at him. She didn't want to leave him after almost losing him.

"Go find Peri." Dylan looked at her.

She nodded and the two shared a kiss, before Nico got up and left the room.

Lindsey had stood, watching the scene with a smile on her face. She remembered only vaguely what it felt like to be young and so in love. She watched as Nico left, only to give a warning look to her sister who was about to approach. Satisfied that Kim was walking away, she then turned to Dylan.

Nico found Peri in the waiting area. "Is she ok?"

"Bit deaf for a bit... Apparently she was close to the explosion." Peri looked.

Nico hugged her. "Well least she's ok."

"And Dylan?"

"He's ok. He needs an operation.. Dunno what for though..." Nico said, looking back down the corridor, wanting to be with him.


	4. Chapter 4

After what felt like an eternity, Dylan slowly opened his eyes, screwing them shut again momentarily due to the bright lighting. He could hear faint talking, identifying the tone as female and he slowly opened his eyes again, looking straight into the concerned face of his mother's.

"Thank god you're awake." Val Jenkins sighed, looking at him and stood, facing Trevor as he entered the room. "And you!" She pointed a finger at him. "What the hell did you do to my baby?"

"Mum, I'm not a kid..." Dylan said, though his voice was weak from not using it.

"I'll get to you in a minute."

The tone in her voice made him shut up instantly. He looked and picked his phone up from the table, switching it on.

"What were you thinking? I brought him up to not be like you. He's in your life 8 months and he's already been arrested twice?!" Val glared at Trevor.

"I didn't know he was in the van! If Kim hadn't pulled out in the middle of the road-" Trevor was cut off.

"Don't you dare. Don't put this on someone else like you always do! You should have been with your son. You know, the one who nearly died?!" Val looked

Dylan shifted uncomfortably, concentrating on his phone, sending a text to Nico saying he was ok.

"I said I'm sorry what more d'you want?!"

"I want to bring my son home with me. But there'd be one person bringing him back and it wouldn't be you. He's told me the way you've been treating him. It was all after he'd seen sense and gone back to the normal Dylan."

Dylan looked up then.

"What about his school? He's in year 11 come September." Trevor looked, thinking he'd won the argument.

"I'll move closer. He can still go to Hollyoaks High, still see his mates." Val said.

"We'll let Dylan decide shall we?" Trevor said.

"Can you leave me out of this?" Dylan looked as Celine came in.

"Just came to see if you were alright?" Celine smiled at him and turned on the arguing parents. "I don't think all this shouting is doing him any good, do you? He's just had life-saving surgery. If you want to carry this on I will have to ask you to leave."

Trevor just looked and stormed out.

Celine made her checks on Dylan while Val stayed silent. "How you feeling?" Celine looked.

"Like everything hurts. When can I get out of here?" Dylan looked.

"You'll be in here for a few days.. You were in a pretty bad way internally." Celine said.

Lindsey ran into the room. "Celine, we need your help out here."

"Why, what's happened?"

"Peri." Lindsey said. After that, all Dylan heard was 'collapsed' and 'early labour'. He looked up, visibly worried for his friend.

Celine left with Lindsey.

"I'm sure she's gonna be fine." Val said, walking over to him, brushing her fingers through his hair. "I don't think much to the red, son. I would have kept it blue." She smiled.

Dylan smiled a little bit and looked as his phone signalled for a message.

'Peri's about to drop...no idea what I'm doing!x'

It was from Nico. He sent one back saying 'panicking again?;)'

'go away.x'

'never x'

Val looked over his shoulder, smiling. "She's good for you."

Dylan looked, smiling. "Yeah... Too good sometimes..." He sighed. "I was a complete idiot, and I thought I'd messed up for good."

"You're only young. You won't see it yet, but if you love each other enough, no matter how many breaks you have, if it's good, and it's worth saving, you'll do it. If it's not, the best thing to do is to walk away."

Dylan nodded.

"I had to do it with your dad. We were young and stupid, and he was completely out of control. I thought with you he'd have grown up, but it didn't work out like that. And he's proved it again here."

"He's ok when he wants to be." Dylan looked.

"Dylan you're in a hospital bed. And not for the first time either. I know he's your dad, you want him in your life, you need him to be there. But where's this going to end? With you in a box?" She looked. "I don't want to bury my child before he's had the chance to live."

Dylan sighed. He knew she had a point. "Were you serious about moving closer?"

Val nodded. "Somebody has to keep you out of trouble if you want to stay here." She looked. "I'm not happy with this. Your gran's livid, she doesn't know this is the second time but it won't take her long."

Dylan groaned and closed his eyes. "I'm already gonna have a lecture off you, can she just leave it?"

"You should have thought about that before you decided to become Chester's newest gangster at fifteen. Dyl you're too sweet to be acting like that. You care too much about people. You also, like your father, have a habit of acting before you think, and damn the consequences afterwards."

"I know... I said sorry.."

"I know you are. Which is why you're coming back with me, once everything is sorted." She smiled and looked, seeing Nico. "I'll see you later." She looked, going to give her son a kiss on the cheek, only to be pushed away by the embarrassed teenage boy. She laughed and walked out.

Nico smiled slightly, walking into the room. "You're going?"

He nodded. "But she says she's moving closer to the village, so it won't really be too far."

Nico nodded, walking over to him and she sat on the edge of the bed. "You OK?" She held his hand.

"Like I got hit by a van.." He smirked a little, laughing at her expression. "OK bad joke."

"Hmm." Nico smiled. "Peri stayed with her mum all night. Then the pains started in the early hours.."

"Are they both OK?"

"Yeah. She had a girl." She nodded.

Dylan nodded again. "And Tom?"

"Has fallen completely in love with her. But I don't think Peri will go through with givin' her up."

"Why?"

She shrugged. "She had the same look as Tom."

Dylan nodded and pulled her arm.

"What?" She looked.

"Do I have to ask my girlfriend for a hug?" He smirked.

She rolled eyes, giggling and leaned forward to hug him.

He sighed, smiling and hugged back.


	5. Chapter 5

Sienna passed the room a few hours later when visiting hours were over. She looked, seeing Nico and Dylan asleep beside each other, his arm around her back, keeping her close. She gave a soft smile as she walked further into the room. That was when she noticed a book lying forgotten between them. She picked it up, marking the page and closing it, looking at the cover. _'The Perks of being a wallflower'._ She placed it on the table and gently shook Nico's arm. "Nico." She said.

Nico groaned quietly, burying herself more into Dylan's side.

"Nico, sweetheart, you have to wake up, we need to go home." Sienna sighed. "Come on."

"No." Nico groaned again like a child.

"Try waking him up, he's worse."

Sienna looked up, seeing Val, who was smiling. "I think she's taking advantage of the fact she's not home and not around her grandad." Sienna smiled back.

"Kids have a habit of wanting their own way. And they get it."

Sienna nodded. "Yeah. Nico, move."

Nico stayed still, kept her eyes closed.

"What's the harm in leaving her be? It's late, you can't expect her to walk halfway across the village back home." Val looked at her. "She'd be safe here wouldn't she."

Sienna thought for a moment. "I'm not going to move her am I?" She asked, though she knew the answer.

Val shook her head.

Sienna sighed again and smiled. "I'm glad he's pulled through. I think she'd have been a mess without him. She's been through so much." She looked at Nico.

Val looked at the two teenagers, seemingly oblivious to the conversation of their mothers. "Dylan too. I think that's why they're drawn to each other. Through their own experiences together and apart."

Sienna nodded, not knowing what else to say. She sent a message to Ben, asking him if he was able to pick her up from the hospital.

Charles S'Avage appeared at the door, interrupting the two women. "Ladies I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Young Nico too."

"Can't she stay? Charles, after a rough, long couple of days I just don't want to wake her." Sienna looked at him pleading with him "Please?"

Charles looked at her, eventually nodding. "Alright. But this is the only time this can happen, it cannot become a regular thing."

"I promise it won't." Sienna smiled. "Thank you."

The doctor nodded once more, leaving the room.

"I'll see you both in the morning." Sienna whispered to her daughter, giving her a kiss on the head, Val doing much the same to Dylan, and both women left the room.

Sienna made her way to the reception area, seeing Ben, and she walked over to him.

Ben quickly hugged her. "How is he?"

"He came through the operation ok. Nico's been with him since she knew he woke up." They both walked out.

"Where is she?"

"Asleep, curled up next to him like she never wanted to move. I couldn't wake her, not after everything, she deserves this at least."

Ben nodded. "They let her stay?"

"I kind of asked them to leave her there."

He nodded again. "Come on, let's get you home."

Sienna smiled and held his hand as they walked.

The next morning, Dylan awoke, feeling a weight on his arm. He looked and saw Nico, still sleeping, still curled against him. He smiled, using his free hand to gently move her hair that had fallen in front of her face as she slept, and he just looked at her, studying every little part of her. He knew she didn't believe it when he told her she was perfect to him, looking at her now only proved his words. To him it didn't matter where she'd come from, what she'd done, she was different, and he loved her for it.

He looked up when he heard somebody walk in, and he saw Lindsey.

"You two looked so sweet just then." Lindsey smiled. "You both really care about each other."

Dylan nodded. "Yeah, I guess we do." He smiled. "Is Peri ok?"

Lindsey started checking Dylan. "Yeah she's fine. She and the baby are ok, we were a bit concerned with her being premature, but she's fine." She nodded.

Dylan smiled at that. "Good. At least she's ok."

Lindsey smiled and checked his notes. "You should be out by tomorrow. If all goes well and the doctors think you're well enough."

"Good, I hate being stuck in here." Dylan nodded.

Lindsey finished checking him over. "Nobody really likes hospitals. Except the ones who work in one."

Dylan nodded again.

Nico started to wake up, stretching herself out.

As she lifted herself up, Dylan moved his arm from under her and watched as she tried to remember where she was.

"Oh.." She sighed softly, turning to look at him, realising she'd fallen asleep with him.

"Hi." He smirked.

She grinned, letting out a small laugh as Lindsey left the room. "Hi."

He leaned over and gently kissed her.

She kissed him back and sighed softly again, looking at him. "Well we've never done that before."

"I've kissed you loads of times!" He pretended to be hurt, though he knew that wasn't what she meant.

"Shut up!" She laughed, lightly shoving him. "Not that. This."

He nodded, looking at their joined hands. "No I guess not." He smiled. "But I wouldn't mind it happening again." He looked at her, gauging her reaction.

She smiled and nodded. "Neither would I." She spoke, looking up at him.

He smiled and kissed her again, holding her close to him when she kissed back.

Nico looked up at him when they broke apart.

"What's going on in there?" He asked.

She shrugged. "It sounds stupid... But I dunno what I'd do without you."

"I'm not going anywhere. And even if I am, it's not too far. I promise you." He held her hand again. "You and me, together. The freakshow." He smirked.

She allowed a small laugh. "Your dad's been a moron... He hasn't seen you for you... But you've got me forever."

Trevor had been standing outside the door, listening to the two. As much as he hated to admit it, the girl was right. He sighed and shook his head, walking away from the door.


	6. Chapter 6

"Where exactly have you been? You should have been home last night."

Nico looked up as soon as she walked through the door, seeing Patrick, not looking too impressed with his granddaughter.

"Well?"

"I ended up staying in the hospital. I fell asleep." Nico answered, moving toward the bathroom. "Now I need a shower, cause I smell like a hospital." She added.

"Nico!" Patrick stood, watching her head into the bathroom and he glared, although he knew he could never exert the same power over her that he once had. She was no longer scared of the weak old man he had become.

"What is with the shouting? You know I've just got Minnie down." Maxine walked from the bedroom, looking at him.

"Nico finally decided to show up."

"Well she must have been worried about Peri if she stayed out all night?" Maxine questioned.

"She wasn't _with_ Peri, she'd stayed with Dylan. I told her he was bad news. He was in the back of a police van that crashed. That boy is nothing but trouble, and not good for her."

"It's not your relationship to control, Patrick. She has to make her own decisions, even if you think they're the wrong ones. Personally, I've always found him to be a sweet kid. And he's good to her." Maxine looked at him, leaving out the argument she'd witnessed the week previously. "Patrick I know you want to protect her, but she has to make her own judgements. She's not Sienna. She might look like her, but she's not her."

Patrick looked at her and sighed. "I just don't want her to make the same mistakes."

"She won't. She'll make her own. It's called growing up." Maxine smiled. "She's a smart kid. And for whatever reason, she's in love with the boy and there's nothing you can do to change that. If you try and get involved, try and come between them, she'll just go ahead and do it anyway." She walked over to him. "I know you want to prove you've changed, and that you won't hurt her. The best way you can prove that is to be there for her, she's a teenager, a teenage girl with a boyfriend and hormones all over the place. That's enough to scare me let alone a grown man." She joked.

Patrick smiled softly and nodded.

"You know I'm right. Just give her some space. Let her do what she wants. Cause she'll do it anyway."

Patrick nodded. "I have to go into the school, start setting things up for the school year."

"Why don't you get some of the year 11's in to help? It would be good to get the kids involved, especially with you at the head of this special needs unit." Maxine suggested.

He nodded once more. "Wouldn't hurt to give them a bit of responsibility." He reasoned. "I'll have a think about it." He walked out of the flat just as Nico left the bathroom and quickly walked to her room and shut the door to get changed.

Dylan had slowly got himself changed out of the hospital gown and, with the help of Lindsey, made his way to the maternity ward where Peri was being kept.

Peri looked as she heard movement by the door and she smiled, seeing Dylan stood there. "You're ok."

Dylan nodded. "Can't get rid of me that easily." He smirked.

She laughed quietly. "You look... Different without all the make up and..." She trailed off.

He nodded. "Well it's been a while since I was able to be myself."

She nodded. "Well at least you don't have to hide that anymore." She looked at him. "It's weird when you two don't talk. I'd have done something sooner, but I was a bit of a bitch to everyone."

He shrugged. "My mess up, I'll deal with it." He smiled and walked further into the room, looking at the baby in the cot beside her. "She's cute."

Peri nodded, though she couldn't bring herself to look at her. "Yeah I guess she is."

Dylan looked, noticing that something wasn't right. "Do you want this?" He sat at the end of the bed, looking at her, but kept the doorway in his peripheral vision.

She sighed and shrugged. "I don't know." She answered honestly. "I know before, I was gonna just get rid and nobody would know... Then I couldn't..." She looked down, finding her fingers in her lap more interesting.

He nodded, listening.

"I know by giving her to Angela, she's gonna have the best start. She's gonna have a family who love her, give her everything I couldn't."

Dylan noticed Tom by the door in the corner of his eye, but said nothing.

"Tom thinks I'm doing this cause I don't care... But the truth is, I do. Seeing her, holding her for the first time, I love her more than anything in this world... And that's why I have to do this... Because I know I won't cope... I know I'll end up hating her and I don't want that." Her voice cracked as she started to cry.

Dylan shot Tom a look unseen by Peri and he got up, hugging her.

Tom sighed quietly. He hadn't realised he was putting so much pressure on her to keep their baby. He'd been thinking of himself the entire time, something Jack warned him about, warned that if he carried on, he would lose her altogether.

"Tom loves you. He loves both of you. And yeah he goes about it the wrong way, but he wants you to give it a try." Dylan looked.

"That's just it. I don't want to. I don't want that risk. You hear about it all the time, mothers that can't cope, end up doing something stupid..."

"Is that what you're worried about? Peri I know you wouldn't hurt her, or yourself."

"I'm scared I will."

Dylan sighed heavily. "Tom if you don't get in here I'm dragging you in."

Peri looked up, wide eyed. "He heard that and you didn't tell me?"

"He needed to hear you being honest and get his head out his arse and actually listen to you." Dylan shrugged as Tom walked in. "You think it's weird me and Nico not talking? She was talking about locking you pair in a room to finally have it out. Now he knows he can stop being a selfish git."

Tom nodded. "I'm sorry, Peri."

She nodded, but said nothing as Dylan stepped back and Tom stood in his place.

She only half returned the hug Tom gave her. "I'm tired." She said.

Dylan nodded, taking the hint she wanted to be on her own. "I'll come see you later if you want? Nico would probably be back here by then."

She nodded again. "Yeah that would be ok."

He smiled and pulled Tom out with him.

"What if she doesn't forgive me?" Tom looked as they made their way back to the room Dylan was supposed to be in.

"Just give her time. I'm surprised she's let you get this far with what you've been doing." Dylan shrugged. "You just need to show her you care, that you want to listen to her and you want to be there."

"Like you, you mean?" Tom hadn't meant for the words to come out as childishly as they did, but he couldn't help feeling jealous that he'd got Peri to speak to him without so much as an argument.

Dylan sighed. "Look. She's your girlfriend, not mine. I'd rather have the nutcase than a hormonal mess." He smirked, then looked around to make sure Nico wasn't around to hear the comment.

Tom nodded. "You're right...sorry, mate."

Dylan shrugged. "Nothing to do with me. I ask, she talks, I listen. And I say what I think after. If you go talking over her, it's only gonna make her more annoyed."

Tom nodded again and they walked to the room in silence.


	7. Chapter 7

Kim couldn't believe it. Grace had got exactly what she wanted. Trevor, and Curtis. And they still had Dylan! If only that brat Nico Blake hadn't stayed with him all night... Well, she definitely would have been caught.

"Kim!"

The voice made her snap out of her thoughts and she looked up at her sister. "Linds.."

"You've been glaring at that door for ages. Please tell me you haven't started things up with Grace again..."

"No! That's done, it's over." Kim smiled.

"Good. Because it wasn't healthy. You've got Esther to think about."

"Linds... She died on the way in."

"Oh, Kim!" She pulled her sister into a hug. "I'm so sorry."

"It's my fault. Just like everything else." Kim sighed. "I pulled out into the road, didn't see that van coming."

"You can't think like that. It was an accident, Kim, nobody could have prevented that. The driver of the van already admitted to going at stupid speeds when he had no real reason. It wasn't a desperate emergency to get to the police station, it was the fact it was the end of his shift and he's been suspended."

Kim nodded.

"Come on. There's only the kids in there anyway." Lindsey looked at her. "So unless you wanna stalk four teenagers."

Kim laughed a little bit. "I don't stalk anyone."

Lindsey rolled her eyes and lead her sister away.

"She's gone." Tom said, peeking through the closed blind, watching the two sisters walk away. "What's she got against you anyway?"

"I'm in the way I guess." Dylan shrugged. "Kim wants Grace all to herself, and Grace is only interested in Curtis, and rebuilding stuff with my dad. So by trying to get me out the way, she gets Grace."

Peri looked confused.

"That is seriously messed up." Nico shook her head.

"This, coming from the incest baby?" Dylan smirked, earning a jab in the ribs. "Ouch!" He hissed, rubbing his side. "Ok point taken."

Nico rolled her eyes. "Listen, I know my mother is crazy enough without you pointing out the mistake."

"You're not a mistake." Dylan put his arm around her.

Nico just rolled her eyes. She knew differently.

Peri shook her head as Tom came to sit by her. "We have to go into school tomorrow."

Nico groaned and lay her head on Dylan's shoulder. "Yeah, to help with this stupid governors thing." She sighed.

"And I get out of it." Dylan smirked.

"Lucky for some. I'll have to help Nancy with this tech stuff." Tom shrugged.

"I dread to think what Grandad will make me do. He wasn't too impressed with me staying here last night. I don't care anyway, he can't stop me from doing anything."

Peri looked, suddenly finding herself holding Nico's and Tom's hands, leaning toward Dylan. "Promise the four of us will stay friends?"

Dylan looked confused. "What's brought this on?"

Nico nodded. "You know we will."

Peri shrugged. "I just... This has just made me realise life is too short. You and Nico you've been my best friends even when I've been unbearable to be around. Tom's tried to be there too I guess."

Dylan laughed quietly. "No one gets rid of me that easily. Peri Lomax, you are stuck with me for a long time yet."

"Me too." Nico grinned.

Peri laughed as the door opened.

Dylan looked up, seeing S'Avage enter the room.

"You're free to go tonight, Dylan. Should your post-op checks come back satisfactory, we can send you home with some medication to help with the discomfort and pain. I've let your parents know."

Dylan grinned. "At last! Told you you'd get sick of me."

"And I don't want to see you in my hospital again with me looking at you in a hospital bed." He gave the teens a smile. "I'll get a nurse to come in and give you your last minute checks and I'll prepare your prescription." He spoke and left the room.

"I'm still not going in to help." Dylan smirked, looking at Tom

"So you're gonna leave me with these two? You'll have this one biting people's heads off, and that one moping around cause she can't see you."

Nico kicked Tom, laughing. "Hey! I'm a Blake. I don't mope, thank you." She spoke, straightening her back and squaring her shoulders. This action caused the others to laugh with her.


	8. Chapter 8

Nico looked around for Peri. Someone had sent a video of Leela and Cameron to everyone, and she knew she had to find her. She ran outside, seeing her with Nancy, and Tom looked as though he were trying to explain himself.

"Tom what did you do?" Nico heard Nancy ask.

"It was you?" Nico asked, looking at him and walked to Peri.

Peri hugged Nico straightaway. "I don't want to see you again." She looked at Tom.

"Come on." Nico pulled Peri inside, Nancy following them.

"In here." Nancy spoke, opening a classroom door and ushering the girls inside as Cameron and Leela burst through the corridors.

"Peri!" Leela shouted.

"I don't want her in here!" Peri looked at Nancy.

Nancy nodded and stepped out, closing the door behind her.

"Nancy please, I need to speak to Peri." Leela stood in front of her.

"I can't let you in there, Leela. I'm sorry." Nancy shook her head.

"You can't keep us from our daughter. We'll just walk in." Cameron told her.

"And that's going to help Peri how, exactly?" Nancy looked at him.

"Peri please!" Leela called through the door.

"No!" Peri shouted back.

Nico sighed and hugged her, which the young girl returned.

"Pez please... let me explain." Leela sighed as Nancy walked back into the room, closing the door behind her.

"Girls what do you want to do?" Nancy asked.

Nico shrugged as her phone bleeped and she looked at her phone. 'Tell Peri I'm sorry, I never meant to hurt her. - Tom.' She quickly typed a reply back; 'If you never meant to hurt her why do it?'

Peri wiped her eyes, but the tears kept falling. "I want to know why... and I want him to pay for what he did..."

"We will contact the police." Nancy nodded and opened the door. "You can go in. Girls I'm just outside."

Peri nodded as Nancy left the room, and Cameron and Leela entered.

"Pez..." Leela said gently, walking to her.

"Don't come near me!" Peri snapped, stopping her 'mother' in her tracks. "You knew who killed mum and dad this whole time and you never said anything!"

"I was trying to protect you." Leela spoke, causing the teen to roll her eyes. "I was! You needed your dad more than anything."

"Yeah! I did! But he's six feet underground! Along with my mum!"

Leela winced.

"You weren't protecting me! You were protecting yourself and him, cause you couldn't bear the thought of him in prison again where he belongs!"

"If I could change the past, I would, Peri. But I can't. If you want me to go to the police, I'll do it." Cameron spoke, looking at her. He knew he'd caused his little girl to hate him, and it killed him.

"You should have done that ages ago!"

"You needed help with the pregnancy." Leela looked. "You wanted your dad and he was there. I know I shouldn't have kept it from you and I'm sorry."

"You need help." Peri said and walked out of the room, Nico following with her.

Nancy looked at them both. "The police are on their way."

"Good. Best place for him." Peri shrugged, walking off down the corridor.

"Best leave her to it, let her calm down." Nancy looked at Nico. "I've spoken to Patrick. He says you can both leave if you want to."

Nico shook her head. "Not gonna change it is it? People are still gonna be talking about her."

Nancy nodded. "You leave Tom to me, alright? I'll tell Jack when we leave."

Nico nodded and walked off in the same direction as Peri.


	9. Chapter 9

"Dylan!"

Dylan stopped outside the coffee shop and turned around, seeing Kim. "What do you want now? Haven't you caused enough crap?"

"I just wanted to say sorry." Kim said, and the teen scoffed at her answer. "I am!"

"You're never sorry for anything. You pretend to be somebody else, you try to threaten and blackmail me to get my dad out the way. Guess what, everyone now knows and d'you know what? I couldn't be happier."

Kim sighed. "I wasn't well."

"And a car crash has cured that has it?" Dylan looked at her.

"I know you tried to save Esther...You're not a bad kid, not really."

"Then why do it? I wasn't even gonna tell him about you and Grace. She did that herself."

"I don't know." Kim sighed again.

"When will you get the message? Leave him and the rest of my family alone." Grace spoke, walking over to the two.

Dylan looked at her, for once, glad she was around. "She's the one who tried to get me to set dad up."

"When was this?" Grace looked at him.

"The day he told me he wanted me to change my last name."

"Take Curtis back to the flat." Grace handed the carry seat to him. "Neither of you need to see what I'm about to do."

"Grace please!" Kim looked at her.

Dylan nodded and took Curtis, walking away with him. He spotted Nico and he walked to her. "You OK?"

Nico shrugged. "I don't know." She answered honestly.

He put the sleeping baby down and hugged her, a hug she returned.

"How come you've got Curtis?" Nico asked, seconds later, the heard two women arguing.

"That answer it?" He smirked, picking up the carry seat again. "Supposed to be taking him back to the flat."

"I can come with you if you want."

He nodded, linking his arm with hers and they walked back to the flat. As if on cue, as they entered, Curtis started crying.

"Really? You wait till now?" Dylan groaned as Trevor came down the stairs.

"Where's Grace?" Trevor asked, taking Curtis from him.

"Arguing with Kim outside the Bean." Dylan shrugged.

"And you left her there?"

"She didn't leave me with a choice. She told me to take him and go." Dylan said, looking at Nico and they both left before Trevor could say anything else.

The pair of them walked to the folly.

"Are you gonna tell me what's wrong now?"

"I think there's something mum and grandad aren't telling me." Nico sighed, sitting on the bench, looking at the floor.

"Like what?" He sat next to her.

She shrugged and forced herself to look at him. "I don't know... I don't think he's well."

"What d'you mean?"

She sighed again. "He's telling everyone he's got an injury from holiday. Or from something he's done. But there's more to it. If that's all it is, why are they talking when they think I'm not around, or whispering when I'm in another room thinking I can't hear them?" She took her phone out. "I've looked into it and I found this."

Dylan sighed, thinking she was just panicking over nothing and he took the phone from her. "Where am I looking?"

Nico brought up the page she was looking at previously.

"Motor Neuron Disease?" He looked at her. "It can't be that bad?"

"It adds up." She shrugged. "I looked on the page, a lot of what's happening fits." she added. "I just don't want him to die."

He sighed and put his arm around her. "Talk to him. You'll know if he tries to lie to you. And who knows, maybe he'll have loads of time left."

She nodded, leaning in to him. "I will when I go back. Right now I wanna stay here."

Dylan nodded, handing her phone back to her and her rested his head on hers. "Ok. We'll stay here for a bit."

She smiled, putting her phone in her pocket.

A couple of hours later, Dylan walked Nico back home.

"I'll text you when I've spoken to him." Nico sighed, looking at the door.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come in with you?"

"Not really... But it's something I've got to do."

He nodded and the pair shared a gentle kiss before he left.

Nico smiled a little and opened the door, walking into the flat, noticing that a conversation had stopped as she entered. "What's going on?" She asked, though she hadn't meant for it to sound so accusatory.

"Nothing's going on sweetheart." Sienna looked at her, smiling.

"Please don't lie to me. I know there's something wrong."

Patrick couldn't look at her. He should have known he couldn't keep her in the dark about something like this. She was his granddaughter, Sienna's daughter.

"Is grandad sick?"

"What makes you say that?" Sienna asked.

"If that was an injury from his holiday, it would be fine by now. He's been like it the entire summer."

"Patrick you have to tell her." Maxine spoke for the first time since Nico had come in.

"Tell me what?"

"Come and sit down." Patrick said, finally looking at her.

Nico quickly walked over and sat next to him, looking at him expectantly.

"You're right. I am sick. I have been, and will be for a long time." Patrick spoke, and held her hands in his as he saw her eyes fill with tears and watched her trying to hold it together. "Have you heard of an illness called motor neuron disease?"

Nico nodded. "I looked up on it the other day..." she admitted.

Of course she had, Patrick thought. "Well that's what I've got. And the doctors say I could have up to 2 ye-." He was cut off by the young girl throwing herself at him in a hug.

Sienna sighed, sitting the other side of Patrick.


	10. Chapter 10

After the discovery of Patrick Blake's illness, Nico took comfort in her friends being close by. After the argument with Leela and Cameron, Peri had moved into the Dog with Tom and their baby, and that was where the four friends spent most of the days.

Dylan kept a close watch on Peri, he could see she wasn't bonding much with Steph, but she did try. With a nudge from Nico he walked over to the young girl. "Peri?"

Peri looked up, half acknowledging he was there. "Yeah...?"

"What's wrong?" He sat beside her.

"I can't do it, Dylan... I thought I could..." Peri shook her head. "Does that make me selfish?"

Dylan looked at her and shook his head. "It's okay to say you're struggling."

"I'm not struggling! I don't want to be a mum."

He sighed heavily, not knowing what to say. "Have you...tried talking to Tom?"

"How? You've seen how he is with her... he didn't want me to give her up before she was born he's not gonna do it now."

"Well... What about your mum?"

"No."

"Why not? She was sort of in the same situation wasn't she?"

"And she lied about it for 14 years. She lied about Cameron killing my mum and dad." She pushed herself up from the chair and left the room.

Dylan groaned and threw himself back into the chair, rubbing his eyes.

"What happened?"

He looked up, seeing Nico stood over him with a confused look on her face. "I walked myself into argument territory. She said she couldn't be a mum so I suggested talking to Leela."

Nico sighed softly and perched herself on his lap, leaning back against him. "Well... to be fair I would have said the same."

He nodded, his arms curling around her, keeping her close. "Anyway... Are you doing okay? With all the..." he trailed off.

She was silent for a few moments, contemplating her answer carefully. "It's... strange. I don't know how to explain it. It's almost like... Like he's giving up before it's even started."

He nodded against her shoulder, listening to her.

Nico was highly aware of the soft, rhythmic breathing on her skin and she shifted slightly. "I get that it's a terminal thing and the fight is over before it can happen. But he doesn't need to accept it so quickly... He's still alive. I can't lose anyone else."

He traced gentle circles on her arm. "Maybe he thinks there's nothing to live for." He looked, seeing her expression change. "I'm only trying to get inside his head. Doing that with your family is more than a minefield." He gave her a small smirk.

She elbowed him and smiled a little. "Well he does. He has me, mum, Maxine, Minnie."

He prodded her in the side and shrugged. "He's not gonna see it that way though. Think about it. He's a control freak of the highest degree. His sole aim in life is to make everyone as miserable as possible."

"Hey! That's my grandad you're talking about!" she giggled quietly.

"And he's a controlling miserable old git." He smirked.

"I dare you to say that to his face."

"No thank you. I've cheated death once. I want to live."

She laughed again.

"But seriously. With a mindset like that, he's gonna take back control."

Nico nodded. She knew where that sentence was leading, but she didn't want to voice it. At some point, they both knew that Patrick Blake would want to end his life.


End file.
